Friday, March 28, 2008

Solat / Sembahyang

I have a friend who is now studyingin UKM and as the medium is BahasaMelayu, the lecturers/professors therewould, once in a while, in betweenlectures, spend some time discussingthe Malay language.The latest discussion was on theword "Sembahyang". According to one ofthe professors (who is an expert inMalay language), the word "sembahyang"is taken from 2 Sanskrit words whichare "sembah" and "yang". "Sembah" isthe word sembah that we've alwaysunderstood. However, the word "yang"refers some "berhala" or "dewa". Soputting the words together, it meansto "sembah" the one that is equivalentto God.Almost all of us have been usingthe word "sembahyang" throughout ourlives. And it has been okay becausewe've always interpreted that word tomean sembah Allah.However, now that we know whereand how the word originated, it wouldbe much much better and safer (to theaqidah) to use the alternativeword, "solat"; when we mean tosay "sembahyang".Hai-ya-'a-las-solah......please forward if you do careabout Islam......